GSI Art Exhibit Prizewinners Announced

Exhibit Open Through January 2025

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), is pleased to announce the prizewinners in the Fifth Biennial Exhibition of Sacred Visual Art, sponsored by the Seminary’s Good Shepherd Institute. Artists were invited to capture the spirit of “Singing of Jesus Christ” with artwork inspired by Luther hymns from the 1524 hymn collection—a nod to the 500th anniversary of the first Lutheran hymns and hymn collections. Eighteen artists submitted artwork for the show.

First Prize: “Thy Precious Blood”
Artist: Kandis Phillips
Watercolor and gold on vellum
Inspiration: “In the Very Midst of Life” (LSB 755)

Second Prize: “In the Very Midst of Life”
Artist: Debra Swearingen
Paint and colored pencil
Inspiration: “In the Very Midst of Life” (LSB 755)

Honorable Mention: “We Mourn That We Have Greatly Erred” and “Thy Heart Is Moved with Tenderness”
Artist:John Bergmeier
Mixed media
Inspiration: “In the Very Midst of Life” (LSB 755)

Audience Choice Award: “Keeper of the Earth, Sea, and Sky”
Artist: Amanda Doster
Fiber with beading
Inspiration: “We Praise You Jesus, at Your Birth” (LSB 382)

The juror for the exhibit was Justin Johnson, who serves on the art faculty at St. Francis University in Fort Wayne. Johnson, who has had over a dozen solo exhibitions at regional universities and museums, has been the gallery director for the university for over twenty years and curates their art collection.

“As artists, we are called to use our gifts to serve our families, the greater community, and most importantly, our Lord,” said Johnson. “Each artist in the exhibition has fulfilled that, sharing their work with the greater community. I was impressed by the variety of approaches to the hymns of Martin Luther and the diverse techniques incorporated into each work of art.”

The exhibit will remain on display in The Wayne and Barbara Kroemer Library at CTSFW through the end of January 2025.